Emma Roberts’ Jill was originally meant to survive Scream 2022, which will see the return of the central trio, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox). However it was the fourth film, released in 2011, that was once intended to kickstart a new trilogy, which the unused Jill cliffhanger would have led into.
Scream 4 satirizes horror remakes and the public’s obsession with fame, as a new Ghostface killer attempts to outdo the original murders from 1996’s Scream returning characters Gale and Sheriff Dewey - who are now married - and her cousin, Jill Roberts. Sidney watches in horror as the dynamics of Jill’s high school friendship group echo her own, creating a new pool of suspects.
The horror sequel culminates in the shocking revelation that Jill is Ghostface, aided in her murder spree by friend Charlie (Rory Culkin). After framing her unfaithful boyfriend and attacking Sidney, Jill attempts to paint herself as the heroic sole survivor. Scream 4 ensures the heroes ultimately prevail, but that wasn’t always the plan. Kevin Williamson’s early script ends with the massacre at Kirby’s (Hayden Panettiere) house, before the police discover an undisclosed second survivor as a cliffhanger, leaving viewers to speculate on the final outcome. Jill is alive, but her plan rests on Sidney's ambiguous fate.
Scream 4 now ends with a hospital sequence wherein Director Wes Craven later clarified Kirby survived. This early draft also features Sidney stumbling across the motionless body of Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), whose shocking death occurs offscreen. This leaves the possibility of either character surviving instead of Sidney, with varying consequences for Jill.
This Scream 4 ending would have kept Jill alive, presumably to resolve the cliffhanger in a later installment. After all, the sequel was envisioned as the first in a trilogy, and Craven itted his original characters couldn't avoid death forever. If Kirby survived over Sidney she would likely think Jill was innocent, having only discovered Charlie was Ghostface. This would have set both characters up for a big confrontation, with Jill surely unable to sustain her ruse. Craven could have depicted Jill reveling in her newfound celebrity as a tragic “survivor”, emphasizing Scream 4’s social commentary. However, if Sidney were to survive, it’s doubtful Emma Roberts' Scream 4 killer Jill would merely allow herself to be arrested. As seen in the final film, she is prepared to kill everyone once her plan is foiled, and very nearly succeeds. Either way, there was exciting potential to explore the aftermath of her ploy.
This Scream 4 cliffhanger would have been refreshingly bold but could have proved divisive without the promise of a sequel to resolve Jill’s story. Critical reception was mixed, and the slasher underperformed at the box office, yet leaving the fate of its hero unknown might have boosted Scream 4’s chances of continuing Craven and Williamson’s plan for a trilogy. Luckily the franchise has another opportunity to impress a new generation with Scream 2022's relaunch of the series.
